Giovani Bernard's performance sends Bengals' message to Jeremy Hill

[Arkansas Bengal]

Giovani Bernard's performance sends Bengals' message to Jeremy Hill

 

Play1:07

Bengals QB Andy Dalton throws three touchdown passes, while Philip Rivers passes Dan Fouts on the Chargers' career touchdown list in Cincinnati's 24-19 win over San Diego.

• 
  Coley Harvey, ESPN Staff Writer

CINCINNATI -- Jeremy Hill spent the final 22 minutes, 53 seconds of Sunday's Cincinnati Bengals home opener in an unfamiliar spot.

He was on the sidelines, standing next to coaches.

From deep behind the clear visor of his black- and orange-striped helmet, Hill tried to avoid entertaining the many thoughts in his head that were too deep for the moment. But it wasn't easy.

Benched for committing the gravest of football sins -- turning the ball over not once, but twice -- the starting running back was relegated to spending the closing minutes of a tight game serving as cheerleader for an impressive Giovani Bernard, while also thinking hard about how he had to prevent turning these activities into a weekly occurrence. The fumbles that led to his benching had been a relatively foreign concept in the days before he settled into a Bengals uniform.

But now they are.

"You could definitely start saying it's an issue," Hill said of his seven fumbles through 18 career NFL games. "I can be happy and in denial about it, but it's definitely become an issue and it has to get fixed."

Hill had only one fumble in two seasons at LSU, and it didn't result in a turnover.

With the Bengals' division schedule on the horizon, this is a good time for Hill to try to solve the crisis. If he lets another couple of turnovers slip out of his grasp at Baltimore next Sunday, the Bengals might not have only a win or a loss on the line, but they could be staring at a lost opportunity to earn a playoff berth or a higher playoff seeding. At this stage, the margin of error shrinks. As the season goes on, it gets progressively smaller.

Hill understands that, saying, "I've just got to continue to keep pounding, keep grinding and try to get it all fixed."

Bernard's 20-carry, 123-yard performance in Sunday's 24-19 Bengals win helped hammer that point home to Hill. When they replaced Hill in the third quarter with Bernard, they sent their second-year starter a message he received loudly and clearly. With the Bengals in the enviable position of having another young, capable back who could slide in and take over for their star, there was little reason for them to run the risk of running Hill back out for another potential turnover.

"We can't have the back fumbling the football," coach Marvin Lewis said. "Jeremy's a talented young player and we've got to keep the football. That wasn't part of his deal last year and we can't let it creep in."

It actually was part of Hill's game -- he had five as a rookie last season. Bothered by them, he vowed this past preseason to make 2015 a fumble-free year.

As troubling as the turnovers were, what was most noteworthy otherwise for the Bengals was that Bernard ran the way he did in 2013. With a series of runs through defenders and some physical carries, Bernard showed flashes of what he was before injuries had him metaphorically limping through much of last season.

If the new Bernard is back to playing the way he did as a rookie and Hill can do a better job holding onto the football, the two-back setup the Bengals have spent the past two years dreaming about could be at hand.

http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/19092/bengals-jeremy-hill-giovani-bernard-benching-message-sent-performance

[Arkansas Bengal]

Bengals' Jeremy Hill benched after two fumbles

FOX Sports

Sep 20, 2015 at 6:07p ET

 

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

 

Bengals running back Jeremy Hill became a spectator during his team's 24-19 win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday thanks to a pair of fumbles. 

Hill didn't see the field after mishandling a toss from Andy Dalton midway through the third quarter, giving way to Giovani Bernard the rest of the way. Hill also coughed it up in the first quarter when Donald Butler ripped the ball out while trying to gain a few extra yards. Hill also appeared to injure his knee on the play but he remained in the game. 

After five fumbles last season, Hill claimed back in May that he had his ball security issues solved, saying that "overconfidence" was the culprit. His confidence can't be too high after getting benched on Sunday.

"We can't have a back fumbling the ball," head coach Marvin Lewis said after the game. "Jeremy's a talented young player and we've gotta keep the football."

Bernard finished the game with 123 games on 20 carries while Hill rushed just 10 times for 39 yards. Bernard has now outplayed Hill two games in a row. Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said he was disappointed in last week's effort by Hill and expected more from his starting running back. It will be interesting to see if Bernard reclaims the No. 1 job if Hill doesn't turn things around. 

http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/cincinnati-bengals-jeremy-hill-giovani-bernard-fumbles-benched-092015

[Rumble In the Jungle]

I was rooting that they bench him during the game. I like Hill but this shit has to stop. I know and believe he could fix it but I wanted the coaches to give him tough love which they did.

[HairOnFire]

 

"You could definitely start saying it's an issue," Hill said of his seven fumbles through 18 career NFL games. "I can be happy and in denial about it, but it's definitely become an issue and it has to get fixed.

 

I hope it's not bad form to say I told ya' so....because I just did.

I mentioned Hill's tendency to fumble several times this offseason, and each time I mentioned it this boards most consistently ignorant fanboy argued everyone should put me on ignore. (No need to mention his name, right?)

Good times. 

Once again Bengals have to consider themselves very lucky Hill's performance didn't cost them a game and first place.

Happily, Hill now seems willing to acknowledge there's a problem and no longer seems willing to insult your intelligence by claiming the problem is due to overconfidence.

Bottom Line, we should all be happy this problem is being addressed now and not in some post playoff game press conference.

 

[|High School Harry|]

Gio Bernard sent a wake up call to ME.  I thought he looked better than he has in the past couple seasons.  GREAT to see.

Also, not down on Jeremy at all.  Call it an off day.  I thought he was down on the first fumble but dunno.  What were they saying on TV.  Oh... Dan Farts was doing the commentary.  I can guess.

But Gio was fantastic and I have not lost any confidence in Jeremy.

[membengal]

The first fumble wasn't on Hill - it was on the officials for not blowing that dead and letting him get twisted and hurt and then calling it a fumble. Pretty bullshit.

The second fumble was all on Hill - and why he got benched. He simply has to be better than that. Ironically, they turned to Gio whose fumble against San Diego in the playoff game still gives me nightmares with regard to what could have been.

[FulcherVulcher33]

Tiki Barber had a fumbling problem early in his career,he got it fixed and went on to be a very good back,hill needs to do the same thing